New York Post: Kathryn Garcia and Maritza Silva-Farrell make the case for waste zones

New York Post: Kathryn Garcia and Maritza Silva-Farrell make the case for waste zones

November 11, 2017

On Friday November 11 2017, NYC’s Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia and Executive Director of ALIGN Maritza Silva-Farrell published letters in the New York Post setting out why commercial waste zones are an essential fix for a broken system. Here’s what they wrote:

More than 100 carting companies criss-cross the city nightly, with some blocks visited by more than a dozen carters each night.

This creates excess noise, traffic and air pollution. It also risks lives: Three New Yorkers have been killed by private-carter trucks since April.

While recycling has been required for decades, many carters have flouted these laws. And some trucks are more than 30 years old, lacking modern pollution controls.

That’s why we’re working to create a truly fair and efficient system that benefits all businesses, large and small.”

Kathryn Garcia, Commissioner, NYC Department of Sanitation

“Far from being ‘lunatic,’ the city’s plan for commercial waste zones is an essential fix for multiple problems.

While large corporations may be able to negotiate good deals with haulers, the same is not true for the city’s small businesses. Some 60 percent have no contract with their hauler, and 90 percent pay a flat rate, regardless of how much waste they generate.

Under the reforms, the city must ensure fair and transparent pricing for customers and enable them to save if they recycle more.”